Books, Cameras, and the Fabric of Time
by LifewithBabs
Summary: (AU Fic with OC) Gracie is just you average Tumblr fan-girl. That is, until she starts losing large amounts of time in her day out of nowhere, a book that contains her hand-writing with directions on how to save the world appears near her bed, and The Doctor shows up in her back yard. That's normal, right?


Gracie had been sitting in the same chair all day, much to her Mother's dismay. She could have cleaned her room, looked for a summer job, read a good book. But no, instead Gracie sat typing away at her laptop, giving out a sporadic laugh here and there. If Gracie's Mother hadn't known better, she would say that the internet was rotting her daughter's mind, but her full ride to University spoke otherwise. So, she let Gracie _"tumble"_.

Whatever the hell that was.

Of course, little did her Mother know, Tumblr had become everything to Gracie. Meeting like-minded people who enjoy the same fandoms as her…for once in her life, Gracie felt like she fit in completely. And while her Mother thought she was just sitting there staring at the same website, she was actually on multiple, changing it up when her attention span lowed. Right now, with noise canceling headphones in (which also double to keep her mom _out_), she was in the midst of watching yet another season of _Doctor Who_, number 3 in the last week on her marathon spree of watching it. A Tumblr friend had recommended it to her, and she was hooked from the first episode. But, most importantly, she was hooked on the 10th Doctor. Gracie loved this character as much as she would her best friend. She laughed with him, she cried with him (Doomsday? Oh god, all the feels she had that day…) and she shared in his triumphs. All she could think about was how she would be an amazing companion (better than Martha…She wasn't sure she liked Martha yet…) and how much fun it would be if the TARDIS parked in her back yard and the 10th Doctor extended his hand out, and that charming voice of his called out _come with me._

_Oh, just the thought of it makes me fangirl…_

And yet, here I was, sitting on a chair in my living room, trying to tune out my mom (if I hear her say "go outside" one more time…I'm picking up my laptop and sitting outside just to annoy her) and living vicariously through a television show. I know this happens to all "whovians", and I'm not even close to finishing the series (I have a whole other Doctor to go through! I heard he's sweet though), but still! I wish his world was real…

….and my mom has turned on the vacuum so I can't hear a thing. Awesome. I picked up my things and headed towards my bedroom, leaving my mom to her triumph of getting me up out of the chair. What time was it, anyways? I looked up at my clock. 5? Seriously? Woah. Last time I checked it was 1 in the afternoon. Oh well. I closed my laptop, and walked back towards the kitchen.

"Ah! She's awaken!" my mom exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. Why wasn't she vacuuming anymore? _Where was the vacuum? _

"Hey! I have been awake all day! I was just watching a TV show online… it's really good!"

"Then why did you miss dinner, Miss awake?"

"What _are _you talking about? It's five-"

I pointed at the clock. It says 7pm. _Wait. What. WHAT? _"-uh, I guess I took a nap then." I quickly added "Is there any leftovers?"

"Of course there is, sleepy head, let me heat it up for you."

My mind was jumping to all sorts of places. _Did I faint? Did I break the space-time continuum by being on the internet too long? Did I really just fall asleep? AM I SLOWING DOWN? IS TIME SPEEDING UP?_

Ok, the last one was a joke. Where did I think I was? In an episode of Doctor Who?

I sat down at the dinner table and began to eat the lukewarm leftovers my mom had set down. Wow, for being a chef, she really failed at heating this up. I glanced at the clock. 7:45.

_Seven Forty Five!? What is going on!? _Now I'm really freaking out. I looked at my mom. She was seated in the living room reading a book. If I had fainted, she would have seen it and would have helped me, right? Or if I had some black out, she would have commented on me not eating. So, why was she just causally reading? I ate quickly, just in case the food would disappear. I tossed the dishes in the dishwasher, and walked casually into the living room.

"Hey, Mom…how's the book?"

"Pretty good, I'm actually almost finished; would you like to borrow it when I'm done?" My mom and I had a system with books. Since we had similar tastes, one of us would read the book first, decide if the other would like it, and then give it to the other when we were done.

"Yeah, sure, just give it to me when you're done. I'll be in my room."

I walked to my room, acting as naturally as possible. _She seemed fine, not comments on the hour, or how slowly she feels like she's going through the book… must just be me._ Just then, I heard a knock on my door frame.

"Hun, I'm finished, shall I add it to the pile?" She smiled and sat it on my bookshelf. "Go to bed a reasonable time, ok? Goodnight!" She gave me a peck on the forehead and slipped out of my room.

_Don't look at the clock…don't look at the clock… TEN AT NIGHT?_

God, I need sleep.

Haha, I made a Sherlock joke.

* * *

As much as Gracie needed sleep that night, she barely slept a wink. She kept tossing and turning, fearing that as soon as she fell asleep, time was going to speed up and she'd be shaken awake by her mother, complaining that it was two in the afternoon. Little did Gracie know, someone else had noticed the weird time fluctuations, a _very_ important someone else.

A man in a brown suit and dirty cream-colored converse high-tops was pacing around his room (The only room in his whole ship where he had some privacy to think).

_Something has happened, and it is not good._

Time is such a fickle thing that the littlest incorrect movement could unravel everything.

"This, however, is a first. And I like firsts." I said aloud to myself. I already had a list of, oh…say… two hundred things that this could be? But none fit exactly.

"Time to investigate!" I exclaimed, and rushed out towards the consol.

"Ah, my TARDIS, you lovely thing, let's see what you can find." I ran over to my computer, and began typing away at the keyboard, hoping to triangulate where the fluctuations were coming from. I flicked a few switches, then with a dramatic thrust, pushed my favorite lever forward. "Allons-y!"

And she was off, taking me to my new adventure. I grabbed on to the railing for support as she rocked and rattled her way through space. I felt the excitement of a new adventure coming over me, something I unfortunately hadn't felt in some time. I slide my way over to the consul, navigating her back to Earth after a nice run in with the Judoon. (_Well, it was nice until they attempted to arrest me. Some form of miscommunication. All patched up, though!_) Just as I was settled in for a nice trip, I heard footsteps rushing up one of the hallways.

"Doctor? What are you doing?" _Oh, brilliant._

Out came John, the camera man, with half of his equipment in his arms, rushing to assemble it.

"John, something is _very_ wrong, and I'm going to go check it out. Now if you please-"

"Let me get Charlie!" John cut me off before I could finish a thought. I hate when humans do that.

"No. No, no, no. Just go back to bed-"

"But, Doctor, this sounds perfect for the show!"

"You don't even know what I'm investigating yet! I haven't said anything!" I exclaimed.

Just then, the screen on my TARDIS lit up with the results. I rushed over to the computer and began to read.

"San Francisco? Really? I guess London does seem to have a strangely large amount of going-ons there. Time to spice it up!" I gave an excited chuckle. This is always one of my favorite parts.

"Doctor, I really must insist you wait until I get Charlie" John said, wearily.

"What about me?" And there was Charlie, fully dressed, and standing ominously in the doorway. _How long had Charlie been standing there? And why the dramatics? Well, I guess I should be talking…_

"Sir, he's going to San Francisco…"John offered.

"No, I won't allow that."

"WHAT?" I gave him my most incredulous look.

"Can't you find something a little closer to headquarters, like maybe…"

"Like what? London?" I cut him off. (_If they won't let me finish my thoughts, I won't let them finish theirs. Humans!)_

"Yes! It's going to be hard to get tapes from San Francisco to Cardiff"

"Well, then, don't film it."

"Excuse me?" Charlie was trying his best to look intimidating. How cute.

"Oh, you heard me just fine! I said _don't film it!_ It's hard enough to travel with you guys anyway without you telling me what to do. I am the oncoming storm!-"

"Oh god, not this again" muttered John

"-I am the last of my kind! I have saved you humans on countless occasions, and if I want to go to San Francisco, then we're going to San Francisco, whether you like it or not!"

"Your last regeneration wasn't this snappy…" Charlie added, however; the look I shot him after saying it quickly shut him up on that topic. "Ok! So, San Francisco. Why are we going there? To get some bread and stare at a bridge?"

"No," I said with a devious grin "we're gonna save the world."

* * *

"Goodmorning, sunshine!"

_Sometimes, I really, really dislike my mother_. I rolled over in my bed, after a terrible night of sleep, and threw my legs over the edge.

"I'm going to be out most of the morning and afternoon running errands, can my college student handle herself until then, or should I call a babysitter?" I smiled and rolled my eyes at her.

"I think I'll be fine. I'll probably just start that book you gave me last night."

"Ok, just, go get some fresh air today? You haven't been out of the house in a few days. And it's finally slightly warm out! Some sun might be good for you." And with that, she was down the hall and out the front door.

_Finally! The house to myself!_ I brushed my hair back into a ballet bun, grabbed the book she had left me the night before from off the bookshelf, and padded my way to the kitchen.

_I feel like scrambled eggs._ I opened the fridge, grabbed some eggs and butter, and then closed the door with my hip. I set all the ingredients on the counter, grabbed a bowl, and started cracking.

"Oh, I forgot the whisk!" I said to myself, and opened a drawer. After some digging, I pulled it out, and giggled.

"I'm step closer to being a Dalek!" I held out the whisk in my left hand, and with my right made a cup shape. "EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!" then I busted into laughter. _My tumblr friends would love this._

"What _are_ you doing?" my mom said in the doorway of the kitchen.

"You're back soon! Forget something?"

"I said I'd be gone until the afternoon! Not until tomorrow, silly! I'm back just in time. Why are you making scrambled eggs at this time of the day?"

I felt the blood drain from my head, and my stomach jump into my throat.

"Oh, I must have lost track of time. What time is it, anyways?"

"Three. Why?" My mom must have noticed the look on my face, because she suddenly seemed very worried.

"I promised my friend I would skype with her at two, that's all. I guess I just got too lost in that book!" I chuckled nervously.

"Do you like it so far?"

"Oh, yeah, it's very interesting!"

"What part are you at?"

_Of course you had to ask, of course, mom. _"Here…let me find it for you in the book…" I started flipping through the book, trying to find a reasonable part of the book for me to be at. _Page 243. That sounds about right._ I quickly skimmed the page to summarize what was happening when a note in my handwriting appear.

_Don't tell mom what's happening. Summary: Kate is about to ask Sarah to leave the mansion. This angers Kate's husband, Joseph. This is because Sarah is secretly his mistress_

"Aha! This is the page. Kate is about to ask Sarah to leave the mansion, and it's really angering Joseph. Kate doesn't know yet about Sarah and Joseph."

After my mom's astonished look faded, she finally said "The good part is about to come up. You might want to save reading it until you have more time, because knowing you; you won't put down the book!"

"Thanks for the hint!" I gave her a cheesy smile, "Well, since you're home, I guess I don't need to make dinner…" I walked over to the bowl of eggs. _Oh god, that smells disgusting. I guess the eggs don't get to time jump with me._ I tossed the liquid into the sink, and ran hot water until the smell disappeared. I was still hungry, though, so I grab a handful of non-perishable cereal bars, and began to much on one. My eyes fell to the book.

_Why was my hand writing in it? Why can't I tell my mom? And how did they know (or I know) that that was the page I was going to open on?_

I glanced at my mother surreptitiously to see if she was looking at me, then snatched up the book and flipped to random page. _How about page 179?_

_I wouldn't recommend flipping through this book too much. Too many spoilers. But I can't tell you not to flip through it to find the next note, because then how will you find it? Page 355 is your next hint, but only flip to it when you meet a stranger._

"What?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Oh" I said nervously "Did I say that out loud? I was yelling at the book." _I really got to get better at this hiding stuff. I'm in college!_

"It's okay, I do that all the time."

With that, I grabbed the book and what was left of my cereal bars and went to my room. I glanced over at the clock.

_It's 7 at night. Are the jumps getting bigger? Why am I not even shocked?_

"Well," I said aloud "at least I'm still in my pajamas" I flipped open my laptop, content to watch Doctor Who until God-knows-when-the-next-hour is.

Vooorp. Voooorp Voooooorp Vooooorrrrrp.

I stared at my laptop. "Hey! I haven't even started the video yet! What are you doing?"

And then I realized the sound was coming from outside my window. I felt my eyes get as big as saucers and my hands begin to tremble as I slowly turned around to see out my bedroom window. It was nighttime, but the distinct outline of a completely out of place police call box was seated on my lawn.

"What. The Hell. IS THAT?" I slowly muttered. And then, months and months of "what-ifs" and "maybes" turned into reality. I scrambled to put on the specific "dress like the Doctor is going to find you today" outfit, complete with my best pair of sturdy (but cute!) shoes. I rushed to the bathroom and put on make-up and brush my teeth, and quickly ran a brush through my hair. Once I was happy with my appearance, I ran to my living room, opened the back door, and went running out towards the box.

_Please don't let this be some sick trick. Please be the real thing._

I took a deep breath, and knocked on the doors. Nothing. I knocked again, slightly louder.

"He-Hello?" I stammered out. "Is anyone in there?"

Then, all of a sudden, the door swung open and a man in flannel and an oddly battered trucker hat was staring at me.

"Yes? May I help you?" by the tone in his voice, he didn't really care if I needed any help, but I pushed on.

"Um, well, this box seems to have appeared in my back yard, and I just thought I'd take a look." I put on my most earnest smile.

"Sorry." And with that, the man promptly shut the door in my face.

"Excuse me!" I pounded into the door "Some explanation would be nice! It's not every day a British police call box lands in one's backyard!"

Another man opened the door. He was in a golf polo and khaki pants, but looked much more imposing than the man in the flannel.

"Oh, you're one of those kids, aren't you? No, we won't take your picture, no we won't let you inside, and under no circumstances are you to tell people you saw this."

"Oui! Charlie! Give it a rest. We might need this person's help!" a voice from the inside called. It sent a shudder up my spine from its familiarity.

It must have shone in my eyes, because Charlie then squinted at me and said "You're lucky we answer to him." And once again the door was slammed in my face. _Could these people be any ruder?_

But then, something glorious happened. The door opened again, and a silhouette formed in front of me. It was tall, lanky, in a tight fit suit, and the most ridiculous hair atop his head.

"Hello!" said the silhouette "San Francisco, am I right? Bit chilly here, isn't it?"

"H-hi. Yeah, it is a bit nippy out, but you're not in San Francisco."

"What?"

"…You're not in San Francisco?" I repeated

"_What?_"

"You're in one of its suburbs?" I finally squeaked out.

"…What!?" He ran back into the box, leaving the door open. I stood look at the door frame for a few seconds before running into the box.

You know that moment when a new companion sees the inside of the TARDIS, and have a form of mental breakdown from its sheer awe-inspiring awesome-ness?

Imagine being a whovian and finding out the TARDIS is a real thing.

"No. Way. No way! This can't be!" I flooded with so many emotions at once, I wasn't sure if I should act like it was no big deal, kiss the ground, or run around the whole ship screaming.

"Yes, yes, it's bigger on the inside, now where did you say we were?" the once silhouette was now a man in a brown pinstriped suit, a brown tie with blue swirls loose around his neck, and his matching blue collared shirt was unbuttoned at the top. He was typing furiously away at a computer.

"You're in Daly City."

"And that's near San Francisco?"

"Yes. We actually share a border with the city."

"Have you noticed anything…_weird_…happening?"

"I noticed that my days are getting a lot shorter. Today was about 15 minutes long."

"Was everything all fast, or was it a bit more jumpy?"

"Jumpy. It was seven in the morning, then three a few minutes later, and then seven at night, and then when I went outside to see you it looked around nine…"

"And is everyone noticing this?"

"I don't know. But my mother isn't, that's for sure. She's the only person I've seen in the last two days" It wasn't until after I said this I realized how depressing it was. _Too late now, I've already said it._

"Anything else?"

"Well, there is this book…the book!" I exclaimed. I went running out of the TARDIS and back into my house, back down to my bedroom, and snatched up the book. I went running back only to notice that dawn was beginning to arrive. Luckily, the police box was still there where I left it. I pushed open the door and went running in, finding the man in the same place I left him.

"This book" I said, slightly out of breath "has my handwriting in it, and I have never touched this book before this morning, and I haven't read it before. " I rushed to open in, and found page 355.

_Good! You've met him! Please keep your head about you. Don't forget to tell him about dawn coming. Make sure mom does not see the TARDIS, resist the urge to slap Charlie in a few moments, and above all, pack an umbrella. When you have an awful lot of running to do, go to page 47._

"Also, I should tell you dawn is coming pretty quickly, and it would be best if my mother did not see this out on her yard."

"Yes, yes of course. Let me cloak it." He flipped on a switch, and the whole ship shuddered slightly. "Now, what is it about this book?"

"I think it's my future. It keeps giving me helpful hints on what to do. It told me you were coming, in a way…and now it's telling me to pack an umbrella…"

"An Umbrella?" I was suddenly aware of the other men in the consul room. "Are we sure we can trust this girl? She sounds like one of those wackos who's had a bit too much of the San Francisco greenery in her lungs." Charlie gave a chuckle at the end of his little speech. _Resist the urge to slap him….resist, Gracie….._

"Right now, she's the best we've got." He turned and gave me a smile. _Worth it just for that smile. Smile again, pretty boy…_ "Well, we have a time-travelling book, time itself is skipping into the future, and one girl who this is all happening around. _Oh_, this is going to be _fun_!" He chuckled with the last line, every bit of his face lighting up with his excitement.

He ran over to the center, did a dance around the consul, pressed a few buttons and then looked up at me.

"You better go get that umbrella, Miss…?"

"Grace, but call me Gracie"

"Right, Gracie, better fetch that umbrella!"

I began walk towards the door.

"Oh! And by the way," At this addition, I quickly turned around to face him. He gave me a warm smile. "I'm The Doctor."

I gave a smile and continued out the door, as under my breath I said "Oh I know who you are, I know."


End file.
